Mounting means for bulk ice-cream containers



V M. J. WEST Sept. 11,-1951 MOUNTING MEANS FOR BULK ICE-CREAM CONTAINERS 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed May '7, 1949 inventor MERLE [4 557 5. & Jim

Gttorneg Sept. 11, 1951 M. J. WEST MOUNTING MEANS FOR BULK ICE-CREAM CONTAINERS zsneets'sheet 2 Filed May 7, 1949 k .lnp entor MERLE 1 14 552 attorii'eg Patented Sept. 11, 1951 MOUNTING MEANS FOR. BULK ICE-CREAM CONTAINERS Merle J. West, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Irving King, Los Angeles, Calif.

Application May 7, 1949, Serial N0. 91,958

5 Claims. 1 This invention relates to a novel combination of a generally conventional bulk ice cream, sher-' bet or other frozen food container and a chuck device releasably holding said container to both project and rotate the same and thereby effect removal of the contents thereof.

- At the present time, ice cream or sherbet is scooped out of paper bulk-containers while the same are positioned in a refrigerated cabinet, dispensing of the material being time-consuming, variable as to portions, and generally unsatisfactory for the additional reason that the hardness of the mass varies considerably.

The present invention seeks to provide means effecting a more efficient removal, in dispensing portions, of the contents of a paper bulk-container as'indicated. Accordingly, an object of this invention is to provide novel chuck means for separably engaging the closed end of such a bulkcontainer and to both project and rotate said chuck means and the container it engages to facilitate eflicient dispensing of the contents of the container from the opposite open end. Another object of the invention is to provide quickly operable means effecting a novel connec tion between a bulk container and means for moving the same as above indicated.

Another object of the invention is to provide an improved chuck that comprises the above-men tioned means.

A further object of the invention is to provide novel means for inverting or rolling back the open end of the paper container while the same is'being rojected to, at all times, present the exposed surface of the contents thereof at one plane from which said contents are dispensed.

The invention also has for its object to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and 'easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and' of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel .details of construction and novel combinations and ar-.

rangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. How-,-

ever, the drawings merely show and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawings, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a longitudinal sectional view showing means according to the present invention in 2 operative association with a conventional paper bulk-ice cream or bulk-sherbet container.

Fig. 2 is a face view of a chuck shown in Fig. 1 and employed to mount the container and to move the same. I

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view as taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary perspective view of a metal ring binding the closed end of the container.

Fig. l of the drawings illustrates a conventional bulk'container 9 now in common use for merchandizing ice cream and sherbet. Thesame comprises a paper tube l0 and a paper bottom II. The paper top, originally provided, has been removed. Such a container employs thin gauge metal rings or bands I2 to connect tube It and the top and bottom and also to reinforce the corners of the container. In conventional use, access to the contents I3 is afforded by removal of the top. In the present case such removal of the top also is effected and, in addition, the ring that holds said top in place, is removed.

According to the present invention, the ring 12, that confines the bottom II in space, is provided with a series of uniformly spaced holes M in the annular flange 15' thereof immediately adjacent the corner I6 defined between said flange and the usually corrugated inreaching flange H. In this instance, said holes are shown as rectangular slots but they may be otherwise shaped.

The means mounting the container 9 comprises, generally, a stationary housing l8 loosely receptive of the container, a chuck unit I9 for engaging the closed end of the container, and means 20, carried by the housing opposite to the chuck unit, for inverting or rolling back the open end of tube It during movement of the chuck unit and the container in a direction toward said means 20.

As shown, the housing I8 comprises a tubular cylinder 2| having .a side opening 22 therein of sufficient size to freely receive container 9, and spaced walls 23 and 24 supporting cylinder 2| between them. While not shown, the wall 23, in opening 25 thereof, may be provided with doctor blade, scraper or other suitable knife means which, as thematerial I3 is pressed thereagainst and rotated, produces a ribbon of said material which is readily shaped into vendable form. Wall 24 has an opening 26 through which extends a shaft 21. The latter, by means not illustrated, is simultaneously rotated and projected toward wall 23, such movement being intermittent according to the number of portions of material 13 to be dispensed and vended. Chuck unit I! is fixedly carried by shaft 11.

Unit ll comprises, generally, a plate, a cam ring I! carried by said plate, a series of blocks Ill fixed to the plate and uniformly arranged around the cam ring, an element II slidably mounted in each block and associated with the cam plate for outward projection thereby, a spring element 32 engaged with each element Ii for inwardly projecting the same, as allowed by the cam plate. to effect engagement with ring I! of container 9, and means 33 for moving cam ring 29 relative to plate 2| to, selectively, inwardly and outwardly projecting elements SI.

Plate 2|, by means of suitable set screws 34, extending through a boss 35 thereon, is aiiixed to shaft 21. Said plate, on the face opposite to said boss, is provided with an annular shoulder 36 that constitutes a bearing on which cam rin 2! is adapted to rotate.

Cam ring 29 is provided with a plurality of uniformly spaced cam lobes 31 around the periphery thereof, said lobes each having a "lead on" slope or rise 38. The cam ring is secured to plate II by headed screws 40 and has limited rotation relative to said plate according to the length of slots 4| in the cam ring and through which said screws project. Accordingly, cam lobes 31, by rotating cam ring 20 in one direction. as limited by screws 40, can be brought into register with elements 31 to project the same, and displaced angularly from said element by rotating the cam ring in the opposite direction.

The rises 38 effect a gradual movement of elements 3! between outward and inward projection thereof.

Each block 30, one for each cam lobe 31, is affixed by screws 42 to the same side of plate 2' against which the cam ring is held. Each block is provided with a channel 43 to slidingly accommodate element ii, the channels being disposed to be radial around the center of shaft 21.

Each element 3i comprises a length of strip steel or the like and, as best seen in Fig. 1, an inreaching finger 44 is formed on the outer end of each element, and an inwardly bent seat or cradle 45 is formed on the inner end thereof.

' Said fingers are adapted to enter into slots II in ring 12 and seats, from one side, are

. engageable by cam lobes 31 and on the other side by spring elements 32.

Spring elements 32 each comprise a strip of spring steel 46 which, at one end, is anchored at 41 in each block 30, and at the other end 48 is engaged in the seat 45 of an adjacent element 8|. Elements 3: are tensioned to urge elements ll inward toward the center of the chuck, thus. at all times, retaining engagement of the inner end of elements ll with the respective cam lobes I1.

The means 33 comprises a suitably formed key 49 that is adapted to be introduced through an opening 50 in plate 28 and into an opening Si the elements 3| to enter fingers 44 into slots ll.

In use, the key 49 is turned to outwardly project fingers 44. A container 9 is now held against the face of the cam ring with slots H in general alignment with said fingers. The key is now turned to remove the cam lobes from beneath elements it, and spring elements 32 now project elements 3| inwardly to enter fingers 4| into said slots. Container 9 is now effectively carried by the chuck unit. Removal of the container is as easily effected by turning the key in the opposite direction.

The container, mounted as above indicated, is projected toward wall 23 and is simultaneously rotated. The open end edge of tube ll of the container encounters the means 20 while the contents l3 thereof is expressed outwardly through the mentioned means for slicing a continuous ribbon formed of said contents from the It will be evident that the open rim of tube ll will encounter the concave surface of portion II. will curl outwardly, as directed by said surface, and then move in a rearward or opposite direction to that of the chuck unit. The wall I! will,

' therefore, double back on itself.

in the cam ring. Opening 50 is of arcuate form having a bearing face 52 around which key 49 is adapted to be turned to swing in the arc permitted by said opening. Opening ii is so formed as to have opposite abutments 53 and 54 that are engaged by key 49. Abutment 53 is shown so engaged. When the key is turned toward the .left in Fig. 2, the same engages the opposite abutment N and thereby effects a rotational shifting of the cam ring to move the cam lobes out of register with elements 3i. Spring elements II are then eii'ective to inwardly project Since such doubling back of tube ll necessarily results in rupture of said tube, the same splitting as the transition is made from the initial smaller diameter to the doubled back larger diameter,

' said tube may be initially slitted at the open rim as at N. Several slits may be formed without materially weakening said tube rim,- but rendering it easier for the tube to split while be nl doubled back.

It will be evident that the effective length of the container 9 shortens as the contents ll thereof are removed and that the doubled back tube progressively increases in length as the rim end moves rearward toward wall 24. Said doubled back portion merely occupies the area of cylinder ii that was initially occupied by the container when full.

When the container is completely emptied as when wall H arrives at means II, the slitted doubled back portions of tube II can be lifted to give access to entry of key 49 to effect separation of the container and the chuck unit. The latter is retracted ready to receive a full container and the former is removed and discarded.

In the appended claims, the term frozen food" is used as a generic term to'deflne ice cream, sherbet, parfait, frozen custard, and other like confection foods.

While the invention that has been illustrated and described is now regarded as the preferred embodiment, the construction is, of course, subject to modifications without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is therefore not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that of bulk material and having one closed end and a metal ring around said closed end, of a chuck unit engaging said ring to mount the container thereon, said chuck unit being projectable in a direction to discharge the material of said container from the opposite end thereof, a wall in the path of projection movement of the container and material and having an opening through which said material is projected, and a U-sectioned annulus carried by the wall to roll back the open edge of the container during projection movement thereof.

2. The combination with a tubular container of bulk material and having one closed end and a metal ring around said closed end, said ring having circumferential openings therein, of a chuck unit having mounting fingers enterable into said opening to connect the container and the chuck unit, said unit being projectable in a direction to discharge the material of said container from the opposite end thereof, a wall in the path of projection movement of the container and material and having an opening through which said material is projected, and a U-sectioned annulus carried by the wall to roll back the open edge of the container during projection movement thereof.

3. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, an open-ended cylindrical container of frozen bulk food, a chuck unit movable simultaneously in a straight line and rotationally and embodying means engaged with the closed end of the container to connect the latter and the chuck unit, and a wall having a fixed annulus in the path of movement of the open end cylindrical edge of the container to engage and double said edge back around the container during the mentioned movement of the chuck unit.

4. A device of the character described comprising, in combination, an open-ended cylindrical container otifoaen bulk food, said container comprising apjaper tube, a. closure for one end of the tube, and a metal ring having circumferentiaily arranged openings and connecting said tube and closure; a chuck unit movable simultaneously in a straight line and rotationally and mounting fingers enterable into said openings of the container ring to connect the container and the chuck unit; and a wall having a fixed annulus in the path of movement of the open end cylindrical edge of the container tube to engage and double back said edge and tube during the mentioned movement of the chuck unit.

5. In a device embodying a mount for an openended cylindrical container of bulk material, said mount being movable in a direction to project the container open end first, a wall in the path of such projection movement and having an opening through which the material in the container passes, and a U-sectioned annulus surrounding said opening and engaging the open edge of the container to double the same back around the container during projection thereof.

, MERLE J. WEST.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 761,348 Baines May 31, 1904 971,408 Ritter Sept. 27, 1910 1,245,251 McGregor Nov. 6, 1917 1,740,386 Baynes Dec. 17, 1929 2,062,112 Wilson Nov. 24, 1936 

